Peace River Audubon Society 2008-09 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS:

White Bird
Acting President Cathy Olson ‘09 941-613-6753
Vice President Stu Lewis ’09 941-235-2590
Secretary Sandy Artman ‘09 941-575-0651
Treasurer Walt Williams ‘09 941-235-3352

February 2009 Volume 32, Issue 6 Additional Mike Krzyzkowski ‘10 863-244-2652
Directors: Dave Lancaster ‘10 941-625-0979
Sandy Artman, Editor Eleanor Marr ‘10 941-624-4182
Dan Artman, Dispatcher George Ruby ’10 941-423-0174
Don Youso ‘10 941-235-1298
www.PeaceRiverAudubon.org Starr Zachritz ‘10 941-766-7686

February meeting:
Yucca Pens Walkabout
Frogs and Frogwatch of Southwest Florida
By Eleanor Marr
Join PRAS and John Cassani, on February 19, 2009 as he On Tuesday February 3, PRAS will hold a walkabout at Yucca
teaches us about local frogs and toads and Frogwatch of Pens. Yucca Pens is a separate unit of Babcock Webb Wildlife
Southwest Florida. Mr. Cassani began Frogwatch of Southwest Management Area. Meet at the Yucca Pens pay station at 8
Florida in 2003 to work with citizens to assemble frog data as AM. There is a $3 per person charge, except for senior Florida
part of the study of global amphibian decline. The results also residents. Directions from Tamiami Trail (Rt. 41) at Tuckers
help track the health of our wetlands, using Grade (exit 158 on I-75): Drive south on Tamiami Trail for 4.7
frog diversity and abundance. These miles to Zemel Road. Turn right on Zemel Road and drive west
amphibians act as “canaries in the coal about 2 ½ miles to the entrance station on the right. Note: On
mines” for wetland systems and changes in Zemel Road you pass the county solid waste facility. There is
their numbers can alert humans to changes an overwhelming number of birds to view along this road. You
in wetlands. will not, however, want to be in an open convertible! For
xxadditional information call Eleanor Marr, 624-4183.
Annual Banquet and Silent Auction:
Whooping Cranes
Photography Group
Don’t put off buying your ticket to the annual banquet and By Eleanor Marr
silent auction on March 19 at Benedetto’s Steakhouse Martini
Bar! This year our keynote speaker will be Pat Casselberry,
The next photo safari will be held on Tuesday February 10 at 9
representing the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. She will
AM. Meet at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex (south end of
talk to us about her experiences with whooping cranes and how
Harbor Blvd.) in the main parking lot (near the boat launch).
the population is doing. Tickets are $28 per person before Feb-
This group will meet each month January through April on the
ruary 15 and $31 thereafter until March 13. You may choose
2nd Tuesday. The time will vary
one of the following entrees: stuffed grouper, chicken cordon
to take best advantage of the
blue, or prime rib.
venue. Announcements of the
time and place will be made in
Items in our silent auction so far include a one night stay at the
the White Bird, at PRAS meet-
Wyvern in Punta Gorda, a kayak rental for Grande Tours,
ings and through PRAS Updates
passes to the Bailey – Matthew
and CharlotteCountyNatureAlert.
Shell Museum and Kingfisher
Fleet, art and much more. Pro-
There will be a photography
ceeds from the silent auction
workshop on Tuesday February 24 at 2 PM at Charlotte Harbor
and photo contest will go to
Environmental Center (CHEC) in the Watershed Building
Whooping Crane Eastern
(across from the screen room). Bring a CD of your photos,
Partnership and our
photos, questions or equipment you want to discuss. CHEC is
environmental education
located at 10941 Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. This group
endeavors. Please contact
will meet each month January through April on the 4th Tuesday.
Cathy Olson (613-6753) if you
have items that you would like
For further information about the photo group, call Bill Marr,
to donate for the silent auction.
624-4182
A photo contest will also be
held at the banquet. Start Field Trip to Palm Island
sorting through your photos for
Kevin Edwards will lead a field trip to Palm Island on February
your best shots this year.
21, 2009. Space is limited to the first 20 PRAS members, so
Contest rules and prices will be
please sign up with Cathy Olson by sending her an email to
made available in the next
olsonc1@peaceriveraudubon.org with your name, phone num-
White Bird.
ber and email address.
 January Field Trip Report: Harns Marsh
By Cathy Olson
Although the weather was downright
cold (by Florida standards) 57 people
attended the January 17th field trip to
Harns Marsh. PRAS members were
joined by Lee County Bird Patrol and
Caloosa Bird Club members and some
friends of friends who were interested
in the trip. We walked and drove the 2
mile stretch and were rewarded with
oodles of Everglades snail kites.
Before PRAS folks arrived, some were
treated by a flock of 22! A lifer for many, the kites provided
wonderful views as photographers snapped photos. The marsh
was also full of wading birds and blue-winged teal. Although
we only saw 57 species (down from last month’s surprise trip)
we added three new species, merlin, spotted sandpiper and
black-bellied whistling-duck, to the Harns Marsh checklist.
The list now stands at 99 and is housed on the Bird Patrol
website (www.birdpatrol.org). I will be leading a trip to Harns
Marsh for the Caloosa Bird Club on February 7. If you would
like to join us let me know (olsonc1@peaceriveraudubon.org).
Amberjack Walkabout
By Chuck Froman
Twenty seven birders met at 8 am for the January walkabout at
Amberjack Environmental Park. The weather was perfect. We
observed 42 bird species. The wood storks and roseate
spoonbills, as well as the white pelicans, were numerous
and cooperated by coming very close to our group for pictures
and observations.
Many of the other
species also provided
good views to most
of us. Even though
the birds we saw
were the usual birds
of the area it was a
very special and
unique day of
birding.
Surprise Field Trip Report: Harns Marsh
By Cathy Olson
Seven PRAS members joined fifteen other birders on a Lee
County Bird Patrol field trip to Harns Marsh on Saturday
December 17, 2008. In total we saw 61 bird species
including snail kites, limpkins, American coots, blue-winged
teal, greater and lesser yellowlegs, roseate spoonbills, black-
crowned night-heron, Wilson’s snipe, savannah sparrow etc.
Two birds were new to the Harns Marsh list included the
marsh wren and a yellow-bellied sapsucker! Four sharp eyed
PRAS members (the Dunsons and Lewises) were the only
people who saw American bitterns, and they saw two!
People learned about this surprise field trip through PRAS’s
email groups and it was announced at the general meeting.
To sign up for the email alert groups go to
PeaceRiverAudubon.org.
Pennington Park Saturday Workday
By Cathy Olson
What a great turnout for the workday at Pennington Park! As
promised, we began the morning with some birding where we
saw 27 species. We had great views of a barred owl and a
limpkin sitting on a nest! After birding, we split into three
groups: two groups attacked Brazilian pepper and carrotwood
and one group gathered and bagged air potatoes. By the end of
the day 17 bags of air potatoes had been collected. Thanks and
kudos to the 12 people who gave their Saturday morning to help
rid Pennington Park of nonindigenous invasive species: Larry
Behrem, Rodney Bovee, Ken Ferris, Joan Kufrin, Dave
Lancaster, Cathy Olson, Dan and Jean Osbourne, Stu Lewis,
Larry Linn, Chuck Steele, and Don Youso. Don’t forget, Pen-
nington Park workdays are a regular occurrence on Wednesday
mornings at 8 AM.

Welcome new PRAS members: Barbara Brilhart,

Joe Dillon, and Grant Powers.

Volunteer of the Month:

Charlie Derrick
Peace River Audubon Society selected Charlie Derrick as
volunteer of the month. Charlie provided us with the
Christmas Bird Count results from the first PRAS count. What
a treat to have the early chapter history. Thank you for all
your years of being a member and all that you have done!
 President’s Message:
Cathy Olson
I would like to encourage everyone to help get the word
out for our Audubon Banquet and silent auction. We
have had a presentation from Pat Casselberry in the past
and she is quite a good speaker. The topic is one that I
think many area birders and non-birders alike will be
interested in. It costs quite a bit to raise the whooping
cranes and then lead them via ultra light plane from their
breeding grounds to their wintering grounds. Our fund
raiser will help defray some of that cost. We, as a Flor-
ida chapter, are among the lucky to actually have whoop-
ing cranes with us seasonally (as well as the non-
migratory flock near the Kissimmee Prairie). Please buy
your tickets early so that you can take advantage of the
$3 savings. Early ticket sales help us through the
planning process.
We will be planning an additional
workday at Audubon Pennington
Park in the near future. The work
day (well hours) flew by and
everyone seemed to have fun.
Seeing the mound of air potatoes
was quite a sight. It is nice to
make a dent in the invasive exotic
plants on site.
The annual birdathon is planned on Saturday, April 4,
2009. Start planning your approach and getting your
team. While the birdathon is a fundraiser the teams
genuinely have fun and rivalries have developed. Come
be part of the friendly competition! Consider sponsoring
a team if that style of birding isn’t your cup of tea.
Several people will be termed out of their positions on
the Peace River Audubon Society Board. Please
consider stepping up and joining the Board. The
presidency will be vacant and we will also need a new
White Bird editor. Sandy has been doing a wonderful
job, but she would like to turn the keyboard over to
another person. The newsletter is all done electronically,
so a seasonal person (not necessarily a Board member)
could certainly do the job. Our chapter needs these
positions filled so that chapter business can continue.
See a Board member if you would like to volunteer as a
Board member or for either of these positions.
Come visit the Peace River Audubon Society table on
March 1st from noon to five at the Scrub Jay Jamboree
in Harbour Heights. The Jamboree is sponsored by the
Lemon Bay Conservancy and will be located at the
Harbour Heights Civic Hall (2530 Harbour Drive).
Walkabouts and Field Trips
2008-2009
February 3: Walkabout Yucca Pens
Eleanor Marr
February 21: Field Trip Palm Island
Kevin Edwards *West
March 3: Walkabout Tippy II
Stu and Louise Lewis
March 21: Field Trip Babcock-Webb
Dave Lancaster (meet at entrance station)
April 7: Walkabout Shell Creek Preserve
Eleanor Marr
April 18: Field Trip Fort DeSoto
Eleanor Marr *North
May 5: Walkabout TBA
Phyllis Cady
May 16: Field Trip TBA
Mike Krzyzkowski/Jim Bonk
*NORTH—the parking lot by McDonalds at Peachland Mall near I75
and Kings Hwy in Port Charlotte (24133 Peachland Boulevard)
*SOUTH—the parking lot of Sweetbay on US 41 south of the Burnt
Store Road intersection in Punta Gorda (10175 Tamiami Trail)
*EAST - the parking lot of Winn-Dixie on State Route 17 east of
Punta Gorda (27680 Bermont Road)
*WEST the parking lot of Charlotte Stadium, Rt. 776
2008-2009
Speaker Schedule
February 19: John Cassani - Frogs and Frogwatch of Southwest FL
March 19: Annual Banquet, silent auction and photo contest
April 16: Gil MacAdam - Southwest FL Butterflies & their habitats
May 21 : Members night: PRAS members present slides and stories
The Great Backyard Bird Count
February 13-16 2009
The 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, hosted by
National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, is taking place February 13-16 2009.
Participation is free and there is no early registration.
Visit www.birdcount.org for specific instructions. Count
the highest number of birds you see at one time (to avoid
double counting) during at least a 15 minute period in
one place. Then upload your results on the website. You
may recount the same place daily during the count period,
go to different locations or just
stick with one location on one day.
Online lists and tallies are updated
throughout the count. You may
also upload photographs for the
online gallery and participate in the
photo contest.
 Non-profit Organization
The Peace River Audubon Society U.S. Postage Paid
PO Box 510760 Punta Gorda, FL
Punta Gorda, FL 33951-0760 Permit No. 100

Check the “Exp” date on your address label!

“1209” means your PRAS and/or National membership expires
December 2009. To save the cost of sending reminders, please
use the application below to renew your membership. If you
have questions please call Phyllis Cady at 575-4009 or send an
email to: membership1@peaceriveraudubon.org

February 2009
White Bird
CURRENT RESIDENT OR

Printed on Recycled Paper

C & R Graphics (folding donated)

The Peace River Audubon Society is a 501 ( c )(3) non-profit organization. Our Federal tax ID number is 59-2190872. We do not engage a professional solicitor and 100% of the
funds generated by this request will be used to support our Chapter programs. Our registration number with the FDA Division of Consumer Services is SC-040701.

Bird of the Month: Black-bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) by Cathy Olson

Although a species most commonly found in the Neotropics, the black-bellied whistling duck has recently
expanded its range and is fairly common in portions of Florida. In Charlotte County, this gregarious duck is
commonly found in Deep Creek, on Shell Creek and even in some of the canals of Port Charlotte. Multiple
flocks inhabit The Celery Fields in Sarasota County. As the name implies, they have a high pitched wheezy
whistle, often heard in flight. They have long necks, pink legs and feet, red bills, black bellies, rufous chests
and backs and white patches on their wings. Unlike most ducks, the males and females look similar. They
are omnivorous and will eat mollusks, insects and plants.

Peace River Audubon Society Membership Application / Renewal

Join us for some fun and birding. Help protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, & the wildlife we love...help us protect Florida.
___ New Membership Chapter Code: E14-7XCH ( ) $20 Local Audubon Membership Only
___ Renewal Includes the “White Bird” newsletter with local news articles,
Name: ______________________________________ local meetings, field trips, bird walks, & special events.
Organization: ________________________________ All proceeds stay within local chapter
Address: ___________________________________ ( ) $20 Local and National Audubon (new members only, renewals $35)
City, State, Zip: ______________________________ Includes all of the above plus National Audubon magazine.
Phone: ( ) _______________________________
( ) Additional Gift for PRAS
E-mail: _____________________________________
Please help PRAS continue our educational and
MAIL CHECK WITH THIS FORM TO: conservation programs with a tax deductible contribution.
PRAS, PO box 510760, Punta Gorda, FL 33951-0760
Total Enclosed $ _________